Episode Details

Originally Aired: September 3, 1955

Change of Heart: A Brother’s Scheme and a Woman’s Redemption
When Jerry Cass falls for a charming saloon girl named Bella, his estranged brother Briscoe returns to Dodge with an agenda of his own. Briscoe’s hostility toward the match seems like simple disapproval—until Marshal Dillon uncovers the truth: a hidden clause in their father’s will that could strip Jerry of his inheritance if he leaves the ranch. Caught in a tangled web of manipulation, Bella ultimately turns against Briscoe, but not before he pulls a gun. In a tragic final moment, Bella saves Jerry’s life—at the cost of her own.

Keywords: “Gunsmoke Change of Heart episode,” “Jerry and Briscoe Cass feud,” “Bella Grant saloon girl,” “Matt Dillon inheritance plot,” “1955 Gunsmoke western drama,” “frontier love and betrayal,” “will and land ownership twist,” “Briscoe Cass villain”

Cast: William Conrad (Matt Dillon), Parley Baer (Chester), Georgia Ellis (Kitty), Howard McNear (Doc), Sam Edwards (Jerry Cass), Virginia Christine (Bella Grant), Vic Perrin (Briscoe Cass), Joe Duval